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Hilton Honors now has more than 200 million members — and more ways to earn and redeem points

Oct. 23, 2024
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3 min read
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Hilton Honors now has more than 200 million members — and more ways to earn and redeem points
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Hilton hit both an important loyalty milestone and a growth record in the third quarter — further signs the hotel giant is increasingly a formidable competitor against its rival and the world’s largest hotel company, Marriott International.

The Hilton Honors loyalty program now has more than 200 million members, a symbolic growth feat as industry analysts increasingly wonder if the program might eventually overtake Marriott Bonvoy — which had more than 210 million members at the half-year mark. Marriott’s earnings call comes early next month, so that figure is certain to rise with new third-quarter figures.

But Hilton is growing in more ways than loyalty members. The hotel company also reported net growth of 33,600 hotel rooms in the third quarter — a record-setting pace of nearly 8% room growth since the same time last year. Hilton opened more hotel rooms in the last three months than in any other quarter in company history.

“We continue to have more rooms under construction than any other hotel company, accounting for more than 20% of industry share and nearly four times our existing share of supply,” Hilton CEO Christopher Nassetta said during an earnings call Wednesday morning.

It’s clear some of Hilton’s newer brands are driving a hefty amount of growth — especially Spark, the company’s premium economy brand that has largely grown via deals where owners of existing hotels renovate and convert those properties into Spark’s brand standards.

Just announced early last year, Spark already has more than 6,000 rooms across the entire brand network. More than 20 Spark hotels opened in the last quarter, and Hilton is expanding the brand to Germany and Austria on top of its existing presence in the U.S., the U.K. and Canada.

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“The brand's pipeline is three times larger than its existing supply, and we expect continued launches in international markets to further boost Spark's trajectory, positioning us well for future growth in the premium economy space,” Nassetta said.

While Hilton is often seen as a bigger player in mainstream and middle-market brands than Marriott, Nassetta appeared to swipe at that critique on this week’s earnings call. He boasted that with the addition of nearly 400 hotels to Hilton’s network thanks to the new Small Luxury Hotels of the World partnership, Hilton has one of the largest luxury hotel portfolios in the industry.

Basically, there’s increasingly a Hilton for all wallet types these days.

Related reading:

Featured image by NICK POTTS/PA IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.